Abrams Family World Travel

World Travel: Our Favourites - Three Years On

AT the end of our first year of travel, we posted a blog about our favourite spots - places, restaurants, beaches, parks and hotels, locations we’ve travelled to (including before our journey began) and have no trouble recommending. Now that over three years have passed since we started our adventure, we thought it would be a good time for an update.

Places

1. Vancouver, Canada: This city on North America's west coast offers a bit of everything. It ticked a lot of boxes for us. Nearby there's snow and beach for starters. There's an excellent public transport system, a fantastic range of organic/healthy produce, lots to do and see socially, the people are friendly, there's a large alternative schooling community, it's relatively safe and, for Canada, the weather is on the mild side. The only downside was the cost of property and renting. Otherwise, we really loved it - a lot!

2. Napier, New Zealand: Known as the 'Art Deco Capital of the World', this town on the north island is incredibly pretty. There's ocean, stunning surrounding mountains, hiking trails, wonderful rivers, clean parks, loads to do and see, little, if any, traffic, clean air and not lacking anything that we'd want in a big city.

3. Kukljica, Croatia: This little village on the island of Ugljan, across the water by ferry from Zadar, is a magical place for us. It's where I spent much of my childhood during the hot summer months. The Adriatic Sea is gorgeously salty and blue. The village has charm and lots of beautiful, though mostly rocky, bathing spots. It's wonderful during the hot season, but can be harshly cold in the winter.

4. Edinburgh, Scotland: Nice for walking, plenty to see, close to the coast, variety of restaurants, compact.

5. Lisbon, Portugal: Amazing architecture, lovely climate, great squares, economical and efficient public transport.

 

Beaches

1. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica: Long stretches of sand without a person in sight or litter, stunning sunsets and perfect sea temperatures

2. Whale’s Tail, Costa Rica: Set in a National Park, with impressive caves you can walk through, great sand and warm seas

3. Los Frailes, Ecuador: Clear water, secluded, perfect waves, clean sand, sea temperature consistently good. All it’s missing is some shelter from the scorching sun and somewhere for refreshments (make sure you bring your own!)

4. Englishman’s Bay, Tobago: Long, intimate stretch of beautiful sandy beach with palm trees and clear green water, just where you’d imagine Robinson Crusoe making his base. There’s a shop and café on site also (not built by Crusoe, by the way).

5. Piracanga, Bahia, Brazil: We stayed here for more than 10 months in 2011. We lived practically on the doorstep of miles of vacant sandy beach. The ocean here, while often quite strong, was nearly always the perfect temperature and the sand ideal although we did have to lookout for troublesome little flees. www.piracanga.com

 

Restaurants

1. Napfenyes Etterem, Budapest: So good we ate there every day on our short stay, sometimes twice in a day. Great menu, nice staff. Almost too many delightful dishes, making our choice so much tougher (hence the reason we kept coming back) Rózsa u 39, District VII, Budapest 1077 +36-1-3135555. http://www.napfenyesetterem.hu/

2. Pure Food & Wine, Manhattan, New York: Somewhat pricey, but worth it, if only for the scrumptious desserts. Formal vegan restaurant with raw options. Jamie can't wait to get back there. www.oneluckyduck.com 54 Irving Place New York, NY 10003-2314 Tel: (212) 477-1010

3. Terra, Lisbon, Portugal: Fabulous buffet spread when we visited over seven years ago. Food is fresh and the ginger juice, though laced with sugar, so refreshing. www.restauranteterra.pt Príncipe Real, Rua da Palmeira 15, 1200-311 LISBOA, Portugal Tel: 213 421 407

4. Tiestos, Cuenca, Ecuador: Delicious food delivered in a large tagine (tiesto). The chef can make almost whatever you like and uses his ingredients so perfectly. A hit every time. Juan Jaramillo 7-34, City Centre, Cuenca, Ecuador

5. Buenos Aires Verde, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Outstanding organic vegetarian nosh, always beautifully presented, fresh and nutritious. Plenty of vegan and raw vegan options. Lovely setting, relaxed atmosphere and genuine staff. There is a menu in English. Try the salads, pizza, deserts and smoothies. Reasonably priced as well, especially when compared to most organic raw food/vegetarian restaurants. Gorriti 5657, Buenos Aires. http://www.bsasverde.com/index_en.html. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-0.30am.

 

Parks

1. KL City Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Bang on the doorstep of the Petronas Towers and an enormous shopping centre is a large fountain which backs on to a great park. Whether it's jogging, walking, kids play or splashing in water, this park has it all. It's where I infamously smashed up my shins doing box jumps on marble columns (I slipped!) We spent countless hours there with our kids in the second-to-none children's play area. 

2. El Retiro, Madrid, Spain: Outstanding and in the city centre (near Retiro subway). Has many jogging paths and exercise areas as well as a lake with boats, cycle routes and quieter, shaded areas to sit.

3. Munich Olympic Park, Germany: By the former Olympic stadium, these manicured grounds near the centre of the city were used for the 1972 Games. The park has a lake and river and is perfect for running, cycling, rollerblading or just strolling.

4. Central Park, New York: At the tip of Manhattan, the park has something for everyone in any season, Great for walking, running, playing sports, rollerblading or just to pass some time.

5. Bosques de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina: We stayed just a few blocks from this park. I went running there a lot (it can get busy) and Zenchai and I hired bicycles. We also went there for days out in the sun, just to play about on the grass. It's a huge park with beautiful gardens and monuments as well as a lake in the middle where you can rent paddleboats to calmly take in the scenery and relax. 

 

Sites/Experiences

1. Iguazu Falls, Argentina: Truly breathtaking, immense natural wonder on the Brazilian and Argentine border. Well worth the ridiculously long bus journey from Buenos Aires and wait for the lashing rain to subside.

2. Milford Sounds, New Zealand: Spectacular scenery on the South Island, visions I can't imagine you'd find anywhere else all in one place - mountains, lakes, hills...every corner turned delivered something special.

3. Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia: Down Under's answer to the Grand Canyon. Impressive views, walks and cable rides.

4. El Zapato/Cajon Dam, Capilla Del Monte, Argentina: This site took us by surprise. We were on a walk, looking for the dam and stumbled upon an immense mountainscape that looked like something from 'The Land Of The Giants'.

5. Superclassico Football - River Plate v Boca Juniors: A truly memorable occasion for any footy fan - the biggest rivalry in the Argentine league. Whether it's at the River Plate Stadium, where the 1978 World Cup final took place, or Boca's smaller, but more cauldron-like ground, this is an unmissable fixture, more so for the bristling atmosphere than the football. 

 

Hotels/Hostals

1. Villa de las Aves, Uvita, Costa Rica: Fabulous two-floor house-type buildings with private jacuzzi, kitchens and a communal pool set in grounds surrounded by trees, animals and birds. With delightful owners, too - from Australia and UK, this is a spectacular place within reach of Costa Rica's great beaches. http://www.villasdelasaves.com/

2. Bahia Principe Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Mexico: All-inclusive resort hotel close to crystal clear sea water and private white sandy beaches.

3. Mandala, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador: Immaculately decorated – has so much to offer, like a library, games room, restaurant, gardens and music room. http://www.hosteriamandala.info/

4. Hip Hotel, Maastricht, Holland: Super sleek, funky one-time apartments converted into themed hotel rooms at affordable prices. There’s secure parking also, but at a fee. http://www.st-martenslane.com/

5. Intercontinental, Chicago airport: Comfortable, tasteful and sheek. 5300 North River Road, Rosemont. Tel: (847) 544-5300

 

Children's Activities

1. Parkour, Vancouver: Of all the activities we have introduced Zenchai to, this was the best. He couldn't get enough. What kid wouldn't want to run, tumble, climb, crash, jump and generally have heaps of fun exploring movement? http://www.originsparkour.com/

2. Wall Climbing, Kuala Lumpur: We took Zenchai along to the largest indoor climbing facility in Asia - and it is huge. It's all supervised and, while a little daunting, children get the chance to scale some enormous walls and grow in confidence. 

3. River Play, Piracanga, Brazil: During our stint at an eco village, we lived close to a river, which was perfect for children. Zenchai learned both to kayak and swim here in addition to spending countless hours just playing.

4. Children's Museum, Buenos Aires: Although the cost of entry wasn't low, it was worth it. Children got to role play and dress up to their heart's content. Zenchai used to beg me to take him here. 

5. Waterfall, Chiang Mai, Thailand: This northern Thai city is surrounded by waterfalls of various sizes. We found one on a Sunday afternoon and the kids loved it so much we couldn't tear them away. 

World Travel: Our Favourites - Cities, Beaches, Restaurants, Hotels...

These are our favourite places, restaurants, beaches, parks and hotels, locations we’ve travelled to over the years and have no trouble recommending. It’s a list we shall keep updated periodically as we continue our journey and explore.

Cities

1. Edinburgh, Scotland: Nice for walking, plenty to see, close to the coast, variety of restaurants, compact.

2. Lisbon, Portugal: Amazing architecture, lovely climate, great squares, economical and efficient public transport.

3. New York, USA: Bustling, huge, stimulating, never a shortage of places to go, eat and see. Lots of parks and play areas, excellent and affordable metro.

4. Venice, Italy:  Romantic, picturesque, walkable, trafficless and atmospheric.

5. Maastricht, Holland: Charming, tranquil, small, clean and safe with delightful squares and friendly people.

 

Beaches

1. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica: Long stretches of sand without a person in sight or litter, stunning sunsets and perfect sea temperatures

2. Whale’s Tail, Costa Rica: Set in a National Park, with impressive caves you can walk through, great sand and warm seas

3. Los Frailes, Ecuador: Clear water, secluded, perfect waves, clean sand, sea temperature consistently good. All it’s missing is some shelter from the scorching sun and somewhere for refreshments (make sure you bring your own!)

4. Englishman’s Bay, Tobago: Long, intimate stretch of beautiful sandy beach with palm trees and clear green water, just where you’d imagine Robinson Crusoe making his base. There’s a shop and café on site also.

5. Playa del Carmen, Mexico: White, cool sand and crystal clear waters.

 

Restaurants

1. Napfenyes Etterem, Budapest: So good we ate there every day on our short stay, sometimes twice in a day. Great menu, nice staff. Almost too many delightful dishes, making our choice so much tougher (hence the reason we kept coming back) Rózsa u 39, District VII, Budapest 1077 +36-1-3135555. http://www.napfenyesetterem.hu/

2. Pure Food & Wine, Manhattan, New York: Somewhat pricey, but worth it, if only for the scrumptious desserts. Formal vegan restaurant with raw options. www.oneluckyduck.com 54 Irving Place New York, NY 10003-2314 Tel: (212) 477-1010

3. Terra, Lisbon, Portugal: Fabulous buffet spread when we visited over five years ago. Food is fresh and the ginger juice, though laced with sugar, so refreshing. www.restauranteterra.pt Príncipe Real, Rua da Palmeira 15, 1200-311 LISBOA, Portugal Tel: 213 421 407

4. Tiestos, Cuenca, Ecuador: Delicious food delivered in a large tagine (tiesto). The chef can make almost whatever you like and uses his ingredients so perfectly. A hit every time. Juan Jaramillo 7-34, City Centre, Cuenca, Ecuador

5. Buenos Aires Verde, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Outstanding organic vegetarian nosh, always beautifully presented, fresh and nutritious. Plenty of vegan and raw vegan options. Lovely setting, relaxed atmosphere and genuine staff. There is a menu in English. Try the salads, pizza, deserts and smoothies. Reasonably priced as well, especially when compared to most organic raw food/vegetarian restaurants. Gorriti 5657, Buenos Aires. http://www.bsasverde.com/index_en.html. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-0.30am.

 

Parks

1. El Retiro, Madrid, Spain: Outstanding and in the city centre (near Retiro subway). Has many jogging paths and exercise areas as well as a lake with boats, cycle routes and quieter, shaded areas to sit.

2. Munich Olympic Park, Germany: By the former Olympic stadium, these manicured grounds near the centre of the city were used for the 1972 Games. The park has a lake and river and is perfect for running, cycling, rollerblading or just strolling.

3. Central Park, New York: At the tip of Manhattan, the park has something for everyone in any season, Great for walking, running, playing sports, rollerblading or just to pass some time.

4. Ruislip Lido, Ruislip, England: Close to where we used to live on the west side of London, there’s a lake, a man-made sandy beach, extensive kids play area and path around the water for walking, cycling or running. Great in the mornings, when no-one is awake, the lido also backs on to Ruislip Woods, an expansive wooded area.

5. Cyber Park, Marrakech, Morocco: Clean, educational and close to the famous Medina. Closes around 5pm. It has a calm feel while also providing a great play area for children.

 

Hotels/hostals

1. Villa de las Aves, Uvita, Costa Rica: Fabulous two-floor house-type buildings with private jacuzzi, kitchens and a communal pool set in grounds surrounded by trees, animals and birds. With delightful owners, too - from Australia and UK, this is a spectacular place within reach of Costa Rica's great beaches. http://www.villasdelasaves.com/

2. Bahia Principe Tulum, Playa del Carmen: Mexico All-inclusive resort hotel close to crystal clear sea water and private white sandy beaches.

3. Mandala, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador: Immaculately decorated – has so much to offer, like a library, games room, restaurant, gardens and music room. http://www.hosteriamandala.info/

4. Hip Hotel, Maastricht, Holland: Super sleek, funky one-time apartments converted into themed hotel rooms at affordable prices. There’s secure parking also, but at a fee. http://www.st-martenslane.com/

5. Intercontinental, Chicago airport: Comfortable, tasteful and sheek. 5300 North River Road, Rosemont. Tel: (847) 544-5300

World Travel: Bugs, Parasites etc...How To Fight Back

Venturing to far-off countries and third-world nations carries its share of risks. So many people are terrified of catching this or that and, consequently, stay put.

When travelling you encounter climates and habitats you are not used to. Hygiene isn’t always first class. You experiment with local cuisine, sometimes off the street. And often you are fending off attacks from predators of the insect variety. It's easier to remain at home, right?

But we didn’t want to play life 'safe'. We knew before we conceived the idea of leaving England to explore the world - or what we could of it - that there were risks attached. And sure enough, on our first long stint abroad, in Ecuador, all three of us ended up with parasites.

These little critters are easily caught, especially by children, who play with everything, often picking up things with their hands and then sticking their fingers straight in their mouths.

Fact is, though, that a large percentage of people in the ‘cleaner’ western world are carrying parasites and probably don’t even know about it.

But we had very clear signs (I won't go into graphic detail) in Ecuador and immediately had ourselves checked out. The procedure was simple. You visit a chemist, receive a sample bottle and take it to one of many laboratories. The time from when we dropped off the samples to getting our test results was about two hours. In England, months later, when we had the same tests – to be sure we were parasite-free – the procedure was a matter of weeks (after the first samples had somehow got lost in the system).

How did we clean ourselves out? Firstly, we were offered and advised to take the pharmaceutical route, which is understandable given that parasites can be dangerous to hang on to.

But we opted to wait until returning to the UK, which was a matter of weeks, and then went for a more natural regime, MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution), and, for Zenchai (in addition to small doses of MMS), Cedar Bear Naturals parasite cleanse for children.

The jury is still out on whether MMS is legit or not. It is, effectively, Sodium Chlorite.

To become effective, it has to be mixed with citric acid, the ratio being 1:5 drops and can be taken with water or fruit juice (only apple, pineapple or grape).

When Sodium Chlorite is mixed with citric acid you get Chlorine Dioxide, which shouldn’t be confused with Chlorine – the two are chalk and cheese.

Jim Humble is the man who discovered MMS. He used it to cure himself and several others of malaria. Since then, he has used it to help people overcome many other viruses that we are told can only be eliminated by taking more powerful drugs.

Consequently, Humble’s work isn’t widely appreciated. He sells his product quite cheaply for starters and only via the internet, his premise being that he wants to help heal people rather than make tons of money. But the proof is in the pudding. And after taking MMS our results came back negative, showing that whatever bugs we had picked up in Ecuador had well and truly been zapped.

We still carry with us the MMS supply in case we come under attack again - one bottle can last a long time. And sometimes we take it as a matter of precaution, because just one drop can help even when you are feeling the onset of a cold.

There is plenty of information on MMS in the public domain and it’s up to each individual to conduct their own research.

 

Tobago: 10 Things You May Not Know

We were only on the island of Tobago four nights, not long enough to see it for all its beauty and history.

I admit to not knowing a great deal about the island except that it was linked with neighbouring Trinidad and that footballer Dwight Yorke and boxer Claude Noel came from there (the former has a stadium named after him and the latter a major highway).

Here are 10 more facts you may not know about Tobago.

1. Since the 1500s it has changed hands 31 times with Britain, France and Holland all at some stage claiming power.

2. It was the slave trade, from 1763 until 1807, which accounted for the largely West African (in origin) population.

3. The island is 22 miles long and only eight miles wide, but has more than 110 species of birds (we had several hummingbirds on our porch).

4. It has many fantastic beaches. While we didn’t visit them all, we particularly liked Englishman’s Bay – practically deserted, but stunning and with perfect water temperatures. You can understand why Tobago was the setting for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

5. Goat racing is a sport here and has been in the village of Buccoo since 1925. Each goat has a man who runs alongside them, to make them run faster. I am assured the participating goats are particularly well treated, even though this is something of a favourite meal on the island.

6. The capital, known as Scarborough, has a population of around 25,000.

7. A flight to Trinidad (around 21 miles) takes around 20 minutes.

8. A breakfast favourite is known as ‘doubles’ and is a saffron-coloured soft bread which is served with a type of curried chickpeas and often comes with hot sauce (optional). Delicious!

9. Just south of the island is the largest recorded brain corral in the world – hence the reason many visitors come for diving.

10. The speed limit is 30mph throughout the island – but no-one sticks to it.